Many of you will know I recently imported a few gallon containers of QEW into the UK for some of us autopians over here.
As I wanted to make sure I was measuring things correctly, I converted the US measurements into litres (L) and millilitres (ML). It worked out at 30ML into 3.8L of water. All nice and straight forward so I purchased a 100ML syringe so I could measure the QEW accurately.
Then I became curious, does 2 capfuls = 30ML (1 US oz)
(It says 1 cap or 1/2 oz per 2 quarts on the bottle, which is 2 caps or 1 oz per gallon).
Well to satisfy my curiosity I filled the cap with water and poured it into the syringe. I did this twice and it only measured 20 ML. I had to do it a 3rd time to make up the full 30ML or 1US oz. I then tried again with the cardboard insert removed from the cap, this time, 2 caps were 22ML and 3 were 33ML.
I contacted Protectall to get some clarification on the amount to use, this is the reply I got.......
Tony,
How nice to hear from you. I'm feeling great, thanks for asking.....and I love your subject line. As for your question...I think you are over analyzing things but that is OK with us. We understand your desire to get the best value out of your purchase. Also, like I said before, I have no problem answering good questions, and this is a good one.
The reality is that your discovery shows the subtle flaws in packaging. Most bottle caps have a volume of 3/8 to 1/2 of one US ounce. So this was a good and easy way to communicate the volume required without the addition of more complex packaging or directions, both of which could add to the finished cost of the product. The liner you removed from the cap does take up space in the cap but is also there to be sure the bottle is sealed at the time of packaging. Yes it does take up some space thereby reducing the volume in the cap. So I think your discovery is accurate to the pin.
It is necessary to understand that mixing this product is not what we call "rocket science". So we use the phrase "2 Cap Fulls" as beginning point. From here you can adjust slightly based on the water quality in your area. I would refrain from going over 4 cap fulls in a 4 liters of water. While it would not hurt to use more, it is very likely that it will not help.
Water has variations in consistency and quality on a regional basis. That is to say that I get my water from the city where I live. The city puts that water through some filtration prior to putting it in our water delivery system. My neighbor in the next city gets his water from a series of underground aquifers maintained by his city and that water is used directly without filtration. Both are safe for human consumption but differ in composition greatly.
One of the main functions of Quick & Easy Wash is to help minimize TDS ( Totally Dissolved Solids ). Most TDS found in water is of a mineral type, though other natural and manmade elements also exist. Quick & Easy Wash conditions the water in an effort to help drop these solids out of the water and helps minimize the introduction of new solids, i.e. dirt form the car during the washing process. By conditioning the water and adding in Surfactants ( Surface Active Agents ), lubricants, and a light wax, you actually wind up with water that feels slick to the touch. The finished material is ideal for both collecting the contaminants, removing them from the vehicle, and then releasing them into the bucket
To answer your question using the short method, I can tell you this. Two, or perhaps better still, three cap fulls in a 4 liter pail, because 4 liters is slightly more than one US Gallon, would be an appropriate place to begin. A fourth cap full may be necessary in areas of the country that get water from wells, or other sources, that have high TDS ( Totally Dissolved Solids ) content.
I hope that helps
As you folks like to say CHEERS
I thought I'd share this with everyone as I've read a few threads where people have questioned the amount to use, 2 caps, 3 caps 4 caps etc. From reading the reply I got, I will personally be using the recommended 30ML, 1US oz, 3 caps however you want to measure it. If you are using QEW and wonder what the effect of using a bit more or a bit less will be, try it, like everthing else we use, experiment.
I noticed once that one person on here wasn't very pleased with the results they got from using QEW, maybe the reason was they used 2 capfulls and it wasn't enough for the quality of the water it was mixed with. Three or four caps may have been better.:nixweiss (It's a while since I read the thread it was mentioned in, so I can't remember the way it was used).
Also please note that the cap size I measured with was from the gallon container, I have no idea how the caps from the other size bottles compare.
Apologies for the long post.
Tony
As I wanted to make sure I was measuring things correctly, I converted the US measurements into litres (L) and millilitres (ML). It worked out at 30ML into 3.8L of water. All nice and straight forward so I purchased a 100ML syringe so I could measure the QEW accurately.
Then I became curious, does 2 capfuls = 30ML (1 US oz)
(It says 1 cap or 1/2 oz per 2 quarts on the bottle, which is 2 caps or 1 oz per gallon).Well to satisfy my curiosity I filled the cap with water and poured it into the syringe. I did this twice and it only measured 20 ML. I had to do it a 3rd time to make up the full 30ML or 1US oz. I then tried again with the cardboard insert removed from the cap, this time, 2 caps were 22ML and 3 were 33ML.
I contacted Protectall to get some clarification on the amount to use, this is the reply I got.......
Tony,
How nice to hear from you. I'm feeling great, thanks for asking.....and I love your subject line. As for your question...I think you are over analyzing things but that is OK with us. We understand your desire to get the best value out of your purchase. Also, like I said before, I have no problem answering good questions, and this is a good one.
The reality is that your discovery shows the subtle flaws in packaging. Most bottle caps have a volume of 3/8 to 1/2 of one US ounce. So this was a good and easy way to communicate the volume required without the addition of more complex packaging or directions, both of which could add to the finished cost of the product. The liner you removed from the cap does take up space in the cap but is also there to be sure the bottle is sealed at the time of packaging. Yes it does take up some space thereby reducing the volume in the cap. So I think your discovery is accurate to the pin.
It is necessary to understand that mixing this product is not what we call "rocket science". So we use the phrase "2 Cap Fulls" as beginning point. From here you can adjust slightly based on the water quality in your area. I would refrain from going over 4 cap fulls in a 4 liters of water. While it would not hurt to use more, it is very likely that it will not help.
Water has variations in consistency and quality on a regional basis. That is to say that I get my water from the city where I live. The city puts that water through some filtration prior to putting it in our water delivery system. My neighbor in the next city gets his water from a series of underground aquifers maintained by his city and that water is used directly without filtration. Both are safe for human consumption but differ in composition greatly.
One of the main functions of Quick & Easy Wash is to help minimize TDS ( Totally Dissolved Solids ). Most TDS found in water is of a mineral type, though other natural and manmade elements also exist. Quick & Easy Wash conditions the water in an effort to help drop these solids out of the water and helps minimize the introduction of new solids, i.e. dirt form the car during the washing process. By conditioning the water and adding in Surfactants ( Surface Active Agents ), lubricants, and a light wax, you actually wind up with water that feels slick to the touch. The finished material is ideal for both collecting the contaminants, removing them from the vehicle, and then releasing them into the bucket
To answer your question using the short method, I can tell you this. Two, or perhaps better still, three cap fulls in a 4 liter pail, because 4 liters is slightly more than one US Gallon, would be an appropriate place to begin. A fourth cap full may be necessary in areas of the country that get water from wells, or other sources, that have high TDS ( Totally Dissolved Solids ) content.
I hope that helps
As you folks like to say CHEERS
I thought I'd share this with everyone as I've read a few threads where people have questioned the amount to use, 2 caps, 3 caps 4 caps etc. From reading the reply I got, I will personally be using the recommended 30ML, 1US oz, 3 caps however you want to measure it. If you are using QEW and wonder what the effect of using a bit more or a bit less will be, try it, like everthing else we use, experiment.
I noticed once that one person on here wasn't very pleased with the results they got from using QEW, maybe the reason was they used 2 capfulls and it wasn't enough for the quality of the water it was mixed with. Three or four caps may have been better.:nixweiss (It's a while since I read the thread it was mentioned in, so I can't remember the way it was used).
Also please note that the cap size I measured with was from the gallon container, I have no idea how the caps from the other size bottles compare.
Apologies for the long post.
Tony
.